Good evening.
I am tempted to recall the Hannibal Lecter line, ‘but you may lack perspective’ in relation to today’s fare. The first ten or so minutes were pretty good. Van der Vaart was chucking weight about and it was clear the Bar Codistas were set up every bit like a side that that had been on an awfully good run.
But this isn’t to say I believe this draw reflect the natural order of things nor am content. But given the way we failed to cope with their formation, we came out of things none too bad.
For the bazillionth time stats ain’t my bag. Yet I think that today wasn’t a disaster on the basis that I will be interested to see damage Toon do to to the so called big boys. So far they have been upon an unprecedented run of dealing admirably with mediocre sides.
Today was their first real crack at a gang of chancers with so called pretensions of greatness. And they have to be commended for their performance. Whatever the much maligned Pardew is up to he is definitely doing something right. A predominantly so so gang of players; yet they are so far dishing it out week on week so far.
Player ratings tomorrow, but I think we can’t gripe over too much about today. Not really.
A point is better than fuck all but thought we could have taken all three points but thats life.Like to see a bit more control of game when we are ahead.Next game next challenge.
Thought we saw the best & worst of JD, today…
Fantastic goal, really well-taken – totally instinctive, superbly executed…
…then, huge frustration as he wasted two golden opportunities: first shooting from a ridiculously tight angle and then failing to square for 2 free players in the box (electing to attempt to shoot twice – no surprise, there…)
Arguably put us in a winning position and then fluffed the chance to make the points safe: our schizophrenic striker strikes again!!
So why don’t you angle the same criticism at Ade, he shot across goal when a pass was better served. Any striker instinctively looks for goal, it’s what they do, which is why I’m saying that with Ade and Defoe looking for each other as a unit, it’s beneficial for the team, but unquestionably VDV is a better player, but far harder to accommodate in a team structure in my opinion.
Probably because Adebayor has yet to make a career out of it doing it.
Yawn!
:-p :finn: :winke:
@TMWNN :daumen:
VDV’s harder to accommodate into a 4-4-2, agreed, but he’s a great player “between the lines” – and that’s how to open up the really tough defences…
Plus, he drops back into MF to help out, which we need if our 2 are up against a 3…
Ade has a far better all-round game: better first touch, better at holding the ball up, etc – I’m not criticizing him, because he offers a LOT to the team, whereas JD is more one dimensional…
Amen. The best and worst of Defoe. Still, if you are constantly spraying shots regardless, one or two tend to go in (that would be his “wonder goal”, whilst the vast vast majority ricochet off defenders or keepers – such as the one you describe where looking up and squaring the ball was the precentage call to help us put the game away.
There’s no “Defoe” in team.
And a bloody shame (though quite predictable) to see Ledley go off the pitch, and VdV just after he’d done his 60 minutes for us.
*percentage :devil:
Toon played well, kept the ball wide as and when they could with profit. They were resisted because most of the time our defence played decently, too. Problem is, we did not control the midfield. We shared it, and they did somewhat better with their share.
Bale had a spotty game; he was closed down surprisingly often. I suggested this two years ago about Lennon, and it applies to Bale: perhaps he would have gained more had he driven/dribbled into the area sometimes rather than crossing. Penalty possibilities. He was also less conspicuous in coming back to help his left back – pay back for A&E’s comments during the week?
On a different tack (heading away from the coast). There’s our state of the art facility moving (O so slowly) towards completion. Will it be staffed by similarly state of the art training and fitness personnel? Modders’ alleged complaints notwithstanding (is this another warning shot across our bows? blimey, give us a break!) there are are reasons for concern.
As long as the coaching staff/players analyze where we could have done better and practice the remedies in mid-week. That’s all.
Cut out an ‘are.’ Getting sloppy.
When I saw the starting XI, I thought we were going to line up 433 and use BAE and Walker for the width. We would probably have gotten more out of Modric with him in the centre, and then Parker and Livermore could have covered the fullbacks when they roamed forward.
Bale and Rafa would have been the wider of the three forwards. Bale didn’t look fully fit today and it should have been him that was brought off for Defoe.
When you go away to places like Newcastle, you don’t need the expansive play and width from three or players. If we’d had a bit more control in the centre of the park, we may have gotten three points. That having been said, a point was not a bad outcome from a team in form in their own back yard.