Newcastle/Tottenham Channel 5 double header

[Milky]

what an excellent night of football on the box. The Newcastle game was excellent, and some of spurs' play in that first half was brilliant mostly down to berbatov, what a player! The pace of lennon and driving runs of zokora were frightening and the guile of keane is a joy to watch. Should have won it 5-0, but 3-2 should be good enough.

[Thracian]

I don't think Newcastle defended any deeper in the second half than they did in the first.

Two things that occur to me. Firstly that Roeder deserves praise from someone who advocates attacking football for selecting Solano at right-back. I don't know how often he's played there in the past but it worked a treat tonight in the first half with the best overlapping full-back play I've seen for quite some time, resulting in some fantastic crosses notably for Martins' second goal. Secondly, the nature of European knockout football is that you have to try to avoid conceding goals at all times, regardless of what the score is. If Newcastle had been caught on the counter-attack and the score brought back to 4-3 through two breakaway goals Roeder would have been pilloried.

Just my take on things anyway.

I've no argument at all with his team selection and could hardly have praised the outcome more glowingly.

We'll perhaps agree to disagree that they lost impetus second half but the question of counter-attack fears represents the eternal tug-of-war between positive and negative reaction.

To my mind paying attention to away goals is a distraction. And one calculated by the organisers to bring uncertainty and the greater chance that both legs of a game will have meaning.

But for the team it needs to be ignored because it creates fear and uncertainty.

In other words, do your job, play to win the games and the result will look after itself.

Tonight, in boxing parlance, AK were reeling. Any boxer knows that when a man is reeling finish him off because, if he recovers, you might not get another chance.

That being the case I would have kept at their throats and tried my level best not to lose the initiative.

[gatesheadfox]

It's good stuff when it works like it did tonight. I remember seeing Duff at left-back earlier in the season in a UEFA Cup game, with N'Zogbia on the left wing. It's an incredibly bold move really. You don't even see Fergie, Wenger or Mourinho playing out-and-out wingers at full back (the exception to the rule perhaps being Kieran Richardson who has played at full back a few times, but he's shite).

thing is, duff played a lot for blackburn at left back. solano on the other hand was tried there many times earlier in the season due to lack of options (or shite youth options) in the right back position. he has proved to be better than stephen carr and others though.....not just an opinion of mine due to my dislike of carr but from many colleagues who have season tickets at st james park

[Thracian]

How often do teams win 8-2 though? I don't think he understands football half as much as he thinks he does. It's not just a case of choosing to go all out and hammer teams, you have to have the ability to do it. If Newcastle had that ability they'd do it week in week out. We outplayed Cov at home in the first half a few weeks ago but we don't have the ability to do that week in week out. It just gelled for a short time largely because Cov were so pathetic at the back, much like Alkmaar tonight. Cov got it together second half and asked some questions, much like Alkmaar tonight. The key to football when you're playing against a team of a similar standard is scoring when you're on top, which is what both Leicester and Newcastle did, yet they get a slagging for "sitting back". I think it's a very naive and simplistic way of looking at a football match and I'll argue with it til I'm blue in the face.

For the life of me I can't see why you wouldn't try to finish a team off from 4-1 up. When would you ever get a better chance psychologically.

What logical reason would there be to stop going forward in numbers if that is what had served you so well?

It's an important question cos lots of people, and lots of coaches think as you do.

If you are forced back that's different but Newcastle weren't forced back. They stopped committing so many players forward. Why would you voluntarily do that? Because of what AZ might do?

One of the great things in football is to grab the initiative and do everything you can to keep it. If the opposition have to worry about what you're doing they won't have so much opportunity to do what they ant to do.

[Manwell Pablo]

For the life of me I can't see why you wouldn't try to finish a team off from 4-1 up. When would you ever get a better chance psychologically.

What logical reason would there be to stop going forward in numbers if that is what had served you so well?

It's an important question cos lots of people, and lots of coaches think as you do.

If you are forced back that's different but Newcastle weren't forced back. They stopped committing so many players forward. Why would you voluntarily do that? Because of what AZ might do?

One of the great things in football is to grab the initiative and do everything you can to keep it. If the opposition have to worry about what you're doing they won't have so much opportunity to do what they ant to do.

Reason being their 4-1 up, and AZ Alkmaar are a very good pasing side who score alot of goals and given space they will score goals.

If you'd of actually paid attention instead thinking MANY GOALS = ATTACKING FOOTBALL, ATTACKING FOOTBALL GOOD, TEAM DIDN'T SCORE IN SECOND HALF, NEGATIVE, BAAAAAAD. You'd of noticed that Newcastle actually played on the counter attack for most of the night.

[Geo V]

I missed the Newcastle game but watched the second half of the Spurs game. Two good sides but Spurs have a real sense of class about them IMO. They have some really quality players like Berbatov, Keane and Lennon but why Jol plays Taino is beyond me. It seems all managers have there favs! Newcastle still dont seem to be playing that well but also have a great squad if all players are fit. All they need are 4 new defenders and they would be challenging for a European spot !

[dandannieldanok]

Have to say I'm beginning to think Berbatov is the perfect striker. Tall and lean, can head the ball, can run fast with or without the ball at his feet, can hold the ball up, can finish. Quality purchase.

[Milky]

Have to say I'm beginning to think Berbatov is the perfect striker. Tall and lean, can head the ball, can run fast with or without the ball at his feet, can hold the ball up, can finish. Quality purchase.

He's impressed me greatly, can see one of the top 4 making a bid.

[Simi]

The second legs to these ties are on ITV.

[lildave3]

The second legs to these ties are on ITV.

Great stuff, means i don't have to leave Foxestalk

[Simi]

Great stuff, means i don't have to leave Foxestalk

. On the down side....David Pleat.