Newcastle 2-4 Post Match Thread

[oxtonfox]

What can I say? I’m not sure Evans would have made the diff because we looked vulnerable from the second minute. That was shambolic. Now to Old Trafford for a right royal thumping just in time for Wembley. We fold like a stack of cards once we get rumbled. Brendan it’s over to you… 

[Gerard]

14pts clear of 5th at one point last season

A week a go we had 80mins against 10 men to take a 10pt lead of 5th at the start of May

 

Unforgivable to blow two positions like that and the bottler tag has to stick if we fail again. How many clubs outside the elite have go themselves into this sort of position and blew it in the last 30 years? Probably none and we're in danger of doing it two seasons running. 

 

The first time could be forgivable because maybe we were playing above our level but we've now had two seasons when we've been a comfortable top four club all season only to implode at the business end of the season.

[sacreblueits442]

3 minutes ago, Corky said:

I had a feeling we might struggle but be hit by a smash and grab that has been Newcastle's forte this season.

 

To be completely outplayed, outfought by a team who looked livelier and more organised was seriously embarrassing. It wasn't even a contest.

 

Where were the bodies on the line? Busting a gut to stop things happening? That is unacceptable.

...a common reason for the previous performance was too many games in a short space of time!!!

We had a week and came to the game with just as much zeal, we have something in us which causes us to experience narcoleptic tendencies..

[Bptiger]

This has been coming for weeks , this playing back and across the park just puts us under so much pressure. Also these players are pros but they can’t pass the ball 20 metres to a team mate , Rodgers has got it all wrong again at the pointy end of the season, we will miss the top four again .

[Edingleyfox]

We lacked shape and leadership without Evans. I think the most worrying thing was the lack of fitness and form visible in several players who are struggling to find form after injuries or too many games. Unfortunately we don’t have the squad depth to offer easy solutions but I think changes are needed

[Chocolate Teapot]

Souness called us bottlers. It's what we are.

[NaijaFox]

8 minutes ago, Gerard said:

14pts clear of 5th at one point last season

A week a go we had 80mins against 10 men to take a 10pt lead of 5th at the start of May

 

Unforgivable to blow two positions like that and the bottler tag has to stick if we fail again. How many clubs outside the elite have go themselves into this sort of position and blew it in the last 30 years? Probably none and we're in danger of doing it two seasons running. 

 

The first time could be forgivable because maybe we were playing above our level but we've now had two seasons when we've been a comfortable top four club all season only to implode at the business end of the season.

Er...the season isn't yet over

[Fox in the North]

[matty98]

It's games like this that make me want Nige back  

[HybridFox]

Just now, matty98 said:

It's games like this that make me want Nige back  

At least we'd lose with a bit of fight. 

 

I do miss the underdog days 

[Gerard]

9 minutes ago, Chocolate Teapot said:

Souness called us bottlers. It's what we are.

 

A lot of people mistake the word "bottler" for failure but it isn't. Missing a 40 foot putt isn't bottling as it's expected.

 

Bottling is when pressure stops you performing to your ability and expected level. Missing a 3 foot putt is bottling and it appears this is what we're doing now.

 

When the going gets tough the tough get going and we look like a rabbit in the headlights whose balls have shrivelled into his stomach.

 

On the plus side though, it's not over yet and we're still the most likely team to finish 4th.

[Bptiger]

We seem to struggle against sides that sit deep we don’t have the technical players to break them down , we seem to play better against sides we can counter attack against, sides that attack us 

[HybridFox]

The consolations at West Ham and today is what frustrates the life out of you. Too little too late

[Matt]

8 minutes ago, Bptiger said:

We seem to struggle against sides that sit deep we don’t have the technical players to break them down , we seem to play better against sides we can counter attack against, sides that attack us 

I'd be inclinded to agree. Southampton last week being a prime example. Credit to them and any opposition that does it, you make it hard for your opposition and that is a sure fire way to give yourselves a chance of getting something against us, i'm not gonna go all Pep and Klopp crying 'They didn't play how we wanted them to'. However surely there comes a point where you realise sideways and backwards isn't working? Surely you realise they're staying ridgid, resolute and we're not drawing them out - the idea of this posession based, sideways and backwards nonsense? This point came when we went 1-0 down last week and then we finally attacked them. When it was too little too late.

 

Tonight, Newcastle didn't do that though, I think they attacked us, they were quite open, yet we still struggled, we still had the negative sideways, backwards nonsense, possession football about us, looked scared to go forward even though the opportunities were there.

 

Edited 7 May 2021 by Matt

[Kendal Fox]

Well, I got it wrong, have to admit the others were right to be cautious the other day, when I argued that I didn't think we would be under much pressure and that we'd surely beat Newcastle.

 

I was going to add, if we can't beat Newcastle at this juncture, we are simply not good enough to be considered a "Top 6" team, let alone thinking of ourselves as having a chance of Top 4. But I really thought that was unnecessary to add at the time as I thought even a below par version of us would beat them at home.

 

At least we've found out we just don't have what it takes I guess.

Edited 7 May 2021 by Kendal Fox

[Gerard]

Just now, TK95 said:

The consolations at West Ham and today is what frustrates the life out of you. Too little too late

 

Another bit of evidence for the "bottling" charge.

 

All very well winning the last 20 mins when you're already 3-0 or 4-0 down.

 

The jury is still out on the "bottling" charge but the team needs to throw these accusations in the faces of those that are making them in the last four games. I believe quality wise there isn't a lot of difference between Man Utd, Chelsea, Tottenham and ourselves, the players need to go to the well and prove it in the next fortnight rather than meekly get rolled over.

[baldeagle]

Just for a change there is a lot of over reaction on here again tonight but that’s  not denying we were terrible . Players looked slow sluggish and clueless. Add to that I we missed  Evans big time . The only thing I really struggled with is why when he got injured did he just not put big Dan on the right of three centre backs . Dan had played there before and although not the best he does a job . Instead we had Kevin at left wing back and Timmy as the right centre back which put two players out of position and in two positions they’ve not  before instead of one not so good right side centre back . 

Edited 7 May 2021 by baldeagle

[Kendal Fox]

38 minutes ago, Gerard said:

14pts clear of 5th at one point last season

A week a go we had 80mins against 10 men to take a 10pt lead of 5th at the start of May

 

Unforgivable to blow two positions like that and the bottler tag has to stick if we fail again. How many clubs outside the elite have go themselves into this sort of position and blew it in the last 30 years? Probably none and we're in danger of doing it two seasons running. 

 

The first time could be forgivable because maybe we were playing above our level but we've now had two seasons when we've been a comfortable top four club all season only to implode at the business end of the season.

Yep, I got it way wrong, have to admit thought we'd easily beat Newcastle at home and with 66 points, we'd put the pressure not just on the chasing pack but United as well.

 

There's no excuses, we have no business thinking of ourselves as a dead cert for top 6, let alone top 4 if we can't put Newcastle to the sword at home, during the run-in.

Agree it's Deja Vu and can't see how Brendan will stick around if the North London clubs come calling. He just doesn't have the strength in depth here either.

Edited 7 May 2021 by Kendal Fox

[Foxaholic ME]

1 hour ago, Gerard said:

14pts clear of 5th at one point last season

A week a go we had 80mins against 10 men to take a 10pt lead of 5th at the start of May

 

Unforgivable to blow two positions like that and the bottler tag has to stick if we fail again. How many clubs outside the elite have go themselves into this sort of position and blew it in the last 30 years? Probably none and we're in danger of doing it two seasons running. 

 

The first time could be forgivable because maybe we were playing above our level but we've now had two seasons when we've been a comfortable top four club all season only to implode at the business end of the season.

I have seen it quoted that Rogers has said his sides always finish strongly   and frankly only  a tremendous away record  keeps us from bottom six Regardless of our position losing  8 at home is terrible  and frankly the league table does lie

[Hales]

Just catching up on all this on my night shift 😁 jeez what an absolute nightmare! What the hell is wrong with them. Also what do Praet and Under have to do to play. We are losing so let's put on Mendy! 

[Deeg67]

Kind of a classic Rodgers late-season collapse, really.  When things start to go off the boil he never seems to have any answers.

[enmac]

Summary of last night's performance. 

 

 

[sacreblueits442]

1 hour ago, Bptiger said:

We seem to struggle against sides that sit deep we don’t have the technical players to break them down , we seem to play better against sides we can counter attack against, sides that attack us 

....they countered us very well and made us look poor!!!

They pressed us at the start and we could not handle it, we can't cope when we are pressed and we can't break teams down who sit deep. The teams we are good against are teams that come to play against us, just that they do not fully commit to the press or maintain the discipline to stifle our advances.

[SixtiesFox]

2 hours ago, Gerard said:

14pts clear of 5th at one point last season

A week a go we had 80mins against 10 men to take a 10pt lead of 5th at the start of May

 

Unforgivable to blow two positions like that and the bottler tag has to stick if we fail again. How many clubs outside the elite have go themselves into this sort of position and blew it in the last 30 years? Probably none and we're in danger of doing it two seasons running. 

 

The first time could be forgivable because maybe we were playing above our level but we've now had two seasons when we've been a comfortable top four club all season only to implode at the business end of the season.

You nailed it!

[WigstonWanderer]

3 hours ago, Beachyboy said:

We play some good stuff, but are very much short of leaders, I always used to believe we'd come back when behind now when we go 1-0, I immediately fear for the worst. 

Isn’t there some stat that we’ve saved more points that any other team after going behind?

Edited 8 May 2021 by WigstonWanderer